Colorado Rockies' Dexter Fowler (24) reacts to being thrown out at second base against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, on Monday, September 17, 2012.

There’s no camouflaging the facts. Rockies starting pitchers posted a 29-68 record and 5.81 ERA in 2012. Simply put, they bombed.

Think the club is going to blow it all up and start from scratch? Think again.

The Rockies, despite a 98-loss season, view their starting rotation as a reclamation project. They are not planning to rebuild. They want to add help but insist they have a solid base in place, so long as left-hander Jorge De La Rosa and right-handers Jhoulys Chacin and Juan Nicasio stay healthy in 2013. They believe the addition of a veteran arm will add stability. They express confidence that one or two of their young starters will blossom to take a spot in the back of the rotation.

That, at least, is the Rockies’ pitching blueprint, despite last season’s horrific numbers, as they head into the winter meetings that begin Monday in Nashville, Tenn.

“I think we are in a much different place than we were in the middle of last season,” said Bill Geivett, the club’s vice president of major league operations.

Step 1 of the restoration is finding a dependable veteran starter, either via free agency or a trade. Two possibilities are re-signing veteran lefty Jeff Francis or going after free-agent right-hander Kevin Correia, in whom the club has interest.

As for the possibility of an impactful trade — something that would likely require giving up either outfielder Dexter Fowler or Michael Cuddyer in order to improve the rotation — Geivett isn’t tipping his hand.

“I think we’re always going to listen to what people say, but I don’t think we’re feeling like we have to move anybody,” he said.

The Rockies made a major move last winter, acquiring supposed workhorse Jeremy Guthrie from the Orioles for right-handed pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom. That trade backfired.

Guthrie imploded at Coors Field, going 1-5 with a 9.50 ERA in nine games before the Rockies shipped him to Kansas City, convinced he couldn’t handle pitching at altitude. Making the trade seem worse for the Rockies was the fact that Guthrie shined for the Royals, who recently rewarded him with a three-year, $25 million deal.

The Guthrie fiasco narrowed the focus on what the Rockies are seeking from outside the organization. Hint: Flyball pitchers need not apply.

“I think it depends on the individual some, but certainly we’ll look for somebody who is able to put the ball on the ground and throw strikes,” Geivett said. “Those are going to be two things that we would heavily weigh into the equation.”

Talent level promising

As for the team’s young starting candidates — lefties Drew Pomeranz, Christian Friedrich and Josh Outman, and right-handers Alex White and Tyler Chatwood — Geivett said, “I think we are comfortable with the flashes of talent they have shown, but I don’t know about true consistency at this point. But I do think we are comfortable with their talent level.”

Truth be told, the Rockies’ youngsters have a whole lot to prove, and each has major issues to solve before being considered major league-ready. Whoever wins a starting role among that group must be much more consistent and show he can pitch better at Coors Field.

Pomeranz, 24, had brief moments of brilliance mixed in with major meltdowns last summer but remains the most highly regarded of the team’s young pitchers. He was 2-9 with a 4.93 ERA. Like all of Colorado’s young pitchers, he struggled with the four-man rotation and the 75-pitch limit the Rockies experimented with for three months last summer. Next year, the Rockies will return to a more traditional five-man rotation and a higher pitch count. Pomeranz is thankful for that.

“I had some good and some bad days, trying to learn how to deal with that pitch count we had going on,” said Pomeranz, who is training during the offseason at the Athletes Performance Center in Los Angeles. “It was kind of tough for me a little bit, because I was always a guy who threw a lot of pitches. So it was tough to try to figure out what they wanted. But I still learned a lot.”

Pomeranz, the centerpiece of the Ubaldo Jimenez trade in July 2011, has three major league-quality pitches — a fastball, curve and changeup. That’s why the Indians made him the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft. But he has yet to figure out how to harness that talent.

“The next step for me is to be able to use all three of my pitches when I want to, and be able to command them on a consistent basis,” he said.

Coors Field? “It can be done”

For all of Colorado’s pitchers, the challenge of pitching at Coors Field still looms large. The Rockies’ home ERA was 5.97, their highest mark since 2004. Friedrich, for example, was 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA on the road, but went 2-5 with an 8.92 ERA at Coors.

“That’s always thrown around, so it’s hard not to think about,” Friedrich said of the difficulty of pitching at home. “But it’s all about how you approach it. I don’t like excuses, period. I’m the one throwing the pitch, so that’s on me.

“I mean, we have seen guys come in and deal against us at Coors, so we know it can be done. It’s all about the mental approach you take toward the Coors Field effect.”

Last season, injuries forced the Rockies to use their top-end prospects such as Friedrich more than they would have liked. Adding an experienced arm, or two, could change that, allowing them to be called upon when the team is confident they belong.

“There is a big difference between these guys being relied upon, as was the case last year, and these guys having to earn a spot in the rotation this time,” Geivett said.

That’s why, as the winter meetings open and the hot-stove season cranks up, the Rockies are daring to spout optimism.

“I think a lot of things we are seeing would lead you to believe they are certainly going to be a lot better than last year,” Geivett said.

A glance at the club’s status heading into baseball’s winter meetings that begin Monday in Nashville, Tenn.:

NEEDS

Starting pitching: Would like to acquire a veteran via trade or free agency. Club is interested in bringing back lefty Jeff Francis. Former Pirates right-hander Kevin Correia, a free agent, is also on their radar.

Left-handed reliever: After trading Matt Reynolds to Arizona last month for infield prospect Ryan Wheeler, Rockies need a lefty specialist in their bullpen.

Backup catcher: There are only two catchers on the 40-man roster — power-hitting, but defensively challenged Wilin Rosario and veteran Ramon Hernandez, who’s coming back from hamstring surgery. The Rockies will sign a catcher, most likely via a minor-league contract.

TRADE CANDIDATES

CF Dexter Fowler: Coming off his breakout season, Fowler, right, is drawing interest from a number of teams, most notably the Braves, Phillies and Rays.

RF/1B Michael Cuddyer: A leader with a strong clubhouse presence, he could provide right-handed power for a contender. However, his $10.5 million salary could be an issue.

Things to watch for when baseball’s winter meetings open Monday in Nashville,Tenn:

BIG-TICKET FREE AGENTS

Outfielder Josh Hamilton: The slugger wants big money and a long-term deal. Hamilton has suitors, but no team is yet willing to offer more than a three-year deal. His next team could be the Mariners, Brewers Orioles or the Red Sox. Or he could return to the Rangers.

Right-hander Zack Greinke: He’s being courted by the Rangers, Dodgers and Angels. He could be in line for a six-year, $150 million deal.

OUTFIELDERS GALORE

Free-agent outfielders available include Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Angel Pagan and Shane Victorino, Cody Ross and Ryan Ludwick. The dominoes began to fall last week when the Braves signed B.J. Upton to a five-year, $75.25 million deal.

PITCHERS FOR HIRE

Once Greinke signs, these other pitchers will fall in place: Anibal Sanchez, Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Kyle Lohse.

POWER HITTER

The Dodgers’ deep pockets — they are reportedly closing in on a new long-term TV deal that could net them $6 billion or more over 25 years — give them the edge in the Greinke sweepstakes, and make them the majors’ most formidable offseason force.

WASHINGTON — Thirty games into the 82-game NHL season, and nearly six weeks after the Matt Duchene trade, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic discussed the state of his team before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at the Washington Capitals.